The Magic Loud House: Moonlight on the Magic Flute
by faisaljewell73
Summary: This is The Loud House X Magic Tree House crossover. When I was a kid, I was obsessed with reading the Magic Tree House. Now, I am obsessed with watching The Loud House. This story combines the two universes when Lincoln and his ten sisters go on a journey to Vienna, Austria in 1762 in the magic tree house. It soon takes them to the time of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
1. Prologue

Prologue

One summer day in Royal Woods, Michigan, a mysterious tree house appeared in the woods. Lincoln Loud and his 10 sisters soon learned that the tree house was magic-it could take them to any time and any place in history. They also learned that the tree house belonged to Morgan le Fay, a magical librarian from the legendary realm of Camelot.

After Lincoln and his 10 sisters traveled on many adventures for Morgan, Merlin the magician began sending them on "Merlin Missions" in the tree house. With help from two young sorcerers named Teddy and Kathleen, Lincoln and his 10 sisters visited four mystical places and found valuable objects to help save Camelot.

On their next eight Merlin Missions, Lincoln and his 10 sisters once again traveled to real times and real places in history: Venice, Baghdad, Paris, New York City, Tokyo, Florence, the deep ocean, and Antarctica. After proving to Merlin that they could use magic wisely, they were awarded the Wand of Dianthus, a powerful magic wand that helped them make their own magic. With the wand, Lincoln and his 10 sisters were able to find four secrets of happiness to help Merlin when he was in trouble.

Now Lincoln and his 10 sisters are waiting to hear from Merlin again….


	2. Chapter 1: To the Summer Palace

Chapter 1: To the Summer Palace

Lincoln was sitting at the computer in the living room. He was doing research on penguins for a school project.

His mom and dad were cooking in the kitchen. Lincoln could smell bread baking in the oven and spaghetti sauce bubbling on top of the stove.

"Lincoln!" said his 10 sisters bursting into the living room. "Come with us!" said Lola. "What's going on?" asked Lincoln. "They're here!" said Lana. "Teddy and Kathleen?" asked Lincoln. The 10 sisters nodded, their eyes shining.

"Oh, man!" Lincoln whispered. He jumped up from his chair and grabbed his jacket and his backpack. The other 10 sisters grabbed their bags "Mom, Dad-we'll be back soon!" Lori called.

"Dinner's in thirty minutes," their mom called from the kitchen.

"No problem!" said Luan. Then, Lincoln and his 10 sisters headed out the front door into the cool spring air.

"Where did you see them?" asked Lincoln. "At the edge of the woods!" said Lynn. "I was riding my bike home from my baseball practice. When they saw me, they waved," said Lynn. "You didn't stop and talk to them?" asked Lincoln. "No, I pointed to the house, to let them know I had to get to my 10 siblings first," said Lynn. "One by one, I told all 9 of my sisters and then, we went to tell you," said Lynn.

"Oh thanks," said Lincoln. "We'd better hurry, dudes!" said Luna. "I wonder where they're sending us!" said Lucy as they crossed their yard and headed up the sidewalk. "I wonder what our next mission is!" said Lisa. "Hey, did you bring the Wand of Dianthus?" asked Luan. "Yep, it's in my backpack!" said Lincoln.

Lincoln and his 10 sisters ran into the Royal Woods woods. They hurried through the shadowy light of late afternoon until they came to the tallest tree. Lincoln looked up. The tree house was back. The two young enchanters from Camelot were looking out the window.

"Hi!" yelled Lincoln and his 10 sisters. "Hello!" Teddy and Kathleen shouted.

One by one, the 10 sisters started climbing up the ladder into the tree house. Lincoln climbed up the ladder last.

"We're so glad you're literally back!" said Lori. She and the other 10 sisters hugged Teddy and Kathleen. Lincoln hugged them too.

"How's Penny?" Lincoln asked. He'd been missing the little penguin they had given Merlin on their last adventure. "Oh, Penny and Merlin have become the best of friends," said Kathleen. "She has brought him much joy and laughter." "Cool," said Lincoln. He wasn't surprised. Penny had made him really happy too.

"What do you want us to do now?" asked Lucy.

"On your last missions, you found secrets of happiness to help Merlin," said Kathleen. Lincoln and his 10 sisters nodded.

"Now, on your next mission, Merlin wants you to help bring happiness to millions of people," said Kathleen. "Whoa," said Lincoln and his 10 sisters. "That's a big job," said Lola. Teddy and Kathleen laughed.

"How do we do that?" asked Leni. "Simple," said Teddy. "You must seek out a brilliant artist," said Teddy. "Do you mean like a painter?" asked Lori. "It could be," said Teddy. "But it could also be any person who uses passion and imagination to create something beautiful," said Teddy. "Merlin wants you to put that artist on the right path," said Teddy. "To share his or her gifts with the world," said Teddy.

"Oh, cool!" said Lynn. "Where do we start, dudes?" asked Luna. Kathleen took a creamy white envelope from her cloak. It was sealed with melted red wax. In fancy writing, it said: For Lincoln and His Ten Sisters of Royal Woods. "Tis a royal invitation," said Kathleen. Lincoln took the envelope and handed it to Lisa. She carefully broke the seal and pulled out a thick card with gold edges and a gold script. She read aloud:

You are invited to a party at the Summer Palace October 13, 1762, five o' clock in the evening

"A party at a summer palace! In 1762!" said Lincoln and his 10 sisters. "Yes," said Teddy. "The palace is in Vienna, Austria," said Teddy. "It is one of the most splendid palaces in all the world," said Teddy. "Is it a fancy party?" asked Lola. "Yes, it is," said Teddy. All of the Loud siblings were excited except for Lana who didn't like fancy parties because she had to wear something fancy.

"That sounds like fun," said Lincoln. "Indeed, it should be," said Kathleen. "But you must watch your manners and beware of unexpected dangers," said Kathleen.

"What kind of dangers?" asked Lana. "I do not know," said Kathleen. "But Merlin believes you will need magic to keep safe. Did you bring the Wand of Dianthus?" asked Kathleen. "Yes," said Lincoln. He reached into his backpack and pulled out the silvery wand. It was shaped like the horn of a unicorn. Kathleen took the wand from Lincoln. She closed her eyes and spun it through the air as if she were spinning a baton. In a blur of light and movement, the wand changed into a small silver flute.

"Wow," said Lincoln and his sisters. " Cool, a flute," said Luna. "A magic flute," said Teddy. "Playing this flute will deliver you from danger," said Teddy. "But I and my ten sisters don't know how to play the flute," said Lincoln. "Do not worry," said Kathleen. "If the time is right, the flute will make its own music," said Kathleen. "Just blow over the mouthpiece," said Teddy. "And while one of you plays, the other make up a song. Whatever you sing will come true," said Kathleen.

"Cool!" said Lori. "But when your song has ended, the flute's magic will end, too," said Kathleen. "You can only use the flute's magic once, so choose the time wisely," said Kathleen. "Okay, got it!" said Lincoln.

"Are you ready to go?" asked Kathleen. "Uh, wait," said Lisa. "Party invitation… magic flute… Is that all? Don't you have a research book for us?" asked Lisa. "On this journey, Merlin wants you to rely only on your wits and your talents," said Teddy. "Oh, okay, " said Lincoln, though he wasn't sure he had many talents.

"Tell the magic tree house where to go by pointing to the words on the invitation," said Kathleen.

Leni pointed to the words Summer Palace. But before she made her wish, she looked at Teddy and Kathleen. "I hope we see you again very soon," Leni said. Say hi to Merlin and Morgan when you go back to Camelot," said Lucy. "And Penny too," said Lana. Kathleen and Teddy both smiled. "Yes, we will," said Teddy.

Leni took a deep breath. "Okay, I wish we could go there!" she said. "To the summer palace!" she said. The wind started to blow. The tree house started to spin. It spun faster and faster. Then everything was still. Absolutely still.


	3. Chapter 2: Put On Your Wig!

Chapter 2: Put On Your Wig!

Lincoln and his 10 sisters opened their eyes. They looked at each other clothes. Lincoln was wearing an orange coat, a long vest, and knee-length pants. His shoes were black with shiny buckles. "I look like can command and lead an army," said Lincoln.

Lori was wearing a light blue dress, Leni was wearing a light green dress, Luna was wearing a purple dress, Luan was wearing a yellow dress, Lynn was wearing a red dress, Lucy was wearing a black dress, Lola was wearing a pink dress, Lana was wearing a dark blue dress, Lisa was wearing a dark green dress, and Lily was wearing a white baby outfit. Most of their dresses were covered with lace and bows. They also had fancy hairstyles.

"I feel like a real, Austrian princess," said Lola happily. "Dudes, I feel like I'm dressed back in old, England," said Luna in a British accent. "This light green dress is totes cool," said Leni. "I literally like this light blue dress," said Lori. "I can give funerals in this black dress," said Lucy. "Hey, I can totally joke in this yellow dress, ha, ha, ha, get it," laughed Luan. Everyone groaned after Luan's bad joke.

Everyone was happy with what they were wearing except Lana. "Ugh, why do I have to wear a dress?" whined Lana. "Because we are going to a fancy party," said Lori "And that is that," said Lola. "Besides, I like that were wearing these fancy dresses," said Lola. "We are starting to look like Princesses of The House of Louds," said Lola. Everyone agreed with Lola.

"Lincoln, there's something on your head," said Lynn. Lincoln reached up and lifted off a black velvet hat. But something else was on his head, too. He pulled off white wig with curls on the side and a ponytail in the back. "A wig?" said Lincoln. His nose tickled. He sneezed, and a cloud of white powder puffed from his wig. "It's covered in powder! I can't wear this!" said Lincoln. "Yes, you can," said his sisters. "You are wearing the wig," said Lori "And that is that," said Lola. "Besides, I think you look like a prince, Lincoln," said Lola. "Ok, I'll wear it," said Lincoln. "Yay," said his sisters.

"Okay, so like where is the palace?" asked Leni. Lincoln and his 10 sisters went to the window and looked out. They had landed in a row of trees that lined a cobblestone street. At the far end of the street, glittering horse-drawn coaches were parked outside tall iron gates.

"I wonder if the palace is beyond those gates," said Lucy. "I don't know," said Lincoln. "I wish we had a research book to help us," said Lisa. "Merlin wants us to rely on our wits and talents," said Lynn. "Yeah, whatever that means," said Lana.

Bells rang in the distance: bong, bong, bong, bong, bong.

"Five bongs," said Lucy. "What time's the party?" asked Lola. Lisa looked at the invitation and read aloud, "'Five o'clock in the evening.'"

"Oh, no!" said Luan. "We're going to be late!" said Lori. "Put on your wig!" said Lola.

Lincoln crammed his wig back onto his head and put on his hat. Lisa gave the invitation back to Lincoln and he put the silver flute and the invitation into a deep pocket in his coat. One by one, the 10 sisters squashed their dresses and squeezed through the opening in the tree floor. It's hard to climb down a rope ladder in this dress!" said Lana. "Be careful! Go slow!" said Lincoln. "But we have to hurry!" said Lynn. One by one, they jumped off the ladder and landed on the ground.

Lincoln hurried down the ladder. "Are you all okay?" asked Lincoln. "We're fine," the 10 sisters said, standing up. "Just got a little dirty," said Lana. They brushed off their dresses. "Let's ask one of those guys about the palace," Lori pointed toward the coach drivers outside the iron gates. "Hurry," said Lori.

Lincoln and his 10 sisters started to run. Their dresses swung wildly from side to side like giant bells. "Slow down!" said Lincoln, rushing to catch up with them. "You all can't run in those big dresses-you look ridiculous. Besides, we need to discuss our mission before we go to this party," said Lincoln.

"It's simple," said Luan. "We're looking for a brilliant-" "I know-artist," finished Lincoln. "But how do we find this person, dudes?" asked Luna. "We'll get to that part soon enough," said Lola. "First let's like find this person?" said Leni.

Lincoln and his 10 sisters walked toward the fancy coaches parked near the gates. "Where's our invitation?" asked Lori. "Here," said Lincoln as he pulled the invitation out of his pocket.

"Excuse me," said Lori, walking up to the driver of a golden coach pulled by two white horses. "We're looking for the summer palace," said Lori. Lincoln showed their invitation to the man.

The driver nodded approvingly. "Ah, so you are guests of the imperial family!" he said. "But why are you arriving on foot? Where is your coat?" he asked. "Um, our driver let us out back there," said Lori, pointing down the street. "I fear he let you out too soon," said the driver. "You still have quite a distance to go," he said. "We do?" asked Lori. "Yes," said the driver. "I have already delivered my employer and his family to the palace. I was waiting here until the party ended. But if you like, I can take you there. Young nobles should always arrive by coach," he said.

"Oh, thanks!" said Lori. Lincoln straightened his shoulders and tried to look noble.

"My name is Josef," said the man. "Come, let me help you up," said Josef. One by one, Josef helped the 10 sisters up into the carriage. Lastly, Josef helped Lincoln up, too. Then the friendly driver climbed onto a bench behind the milk-white horses.

"Wow, I feel like Cinderella going to the ball," said Lola.

Josef snapped the reins. The horses took off, and the guards opened the gates. The coach clattered over the cobblestones into an immense square. The square was bathed in the last light of day. Monks in brown robes strolled around a huge fountain. Lucy really liked seeing the Monks. Soldiers in uniforms rode on horseback.

On the far side of the square was a long building. It had bright yellow walls and dozens of windows that flashed with the light of the setting sun.

"Is that the summer palace, sir?" Lori called to Josef. "Yes, indeed," Josef said over his shoulder. "And there is much more that you cannot see! Behind the palace is a garden of nearly three hundred acres. It has beautiful flowers, orchards, fountains, and a zoo," said Josef. "Cool, a zoo," said Lana.

"Hello, boy and girls!" came a high little voice.

A closed blue coach passed them. A small boy wearing a white wig was calling from a window. He pointed at Lincoln and laughed. "Your wig is crooked!" he shouted in his high voice.

Before the boy could say more, someone pulled him back from the window, and the blue coach rumbled away.

"What an annoying kid," said Lincoln. "Hey, he is not the only one who is annoying," said Luan. "I'm annoying sometimes too," said Luan "Me too," said Lola. "That's because you're my sisters and yes, you two are annoying," said Lincoln. "But I do care that you bother me sometimes because I love you," said Lincoln. "Awwww, thanks Lincoln," said Lola and Luan. "By the way, is my wig crooked?" asked Lincoln. "A little," said Luan. Luan lifted Lincoln's hat off. She tried to straighten his wig as they lurched and swayed on the cushioned seat. "There, that's better," said Luan.

Josef drove the horses to the front of the palace. The coach stopped near a staircase that led up to a terrace. Josef helped Lincoln and his 10 sisters one by one down from their seats.

"I can tell this is your first visit to the palace," said Josef. "At the door, you must show the guard in the red uniform your invitation. He will direct you to the receiving line," said Josef. "The receiving line, what's that?" asked Lincoln. "That is where you will wait to be introduced," said Josef. "Introduced to who?" asked Lola. "To her Imperial Majesty Maria Theresa. She is Archduchess of Austria, Queen of Hungary, Croatia, and Bohemia; and Empress of the Holy Roman Empire," said Josef.

"Wow, a real Empress and Queen," said Lola happily. "Oh, right," said Lori. Yeah, right, thought Lincoln.


	4. Chapter 3: Her Imperial Majesty

Chapter 3: Her Imperial Majesty

"Thanks for your help, Josef," said Lori. "Yeah, thanks a lot," said Lincoln. "You're very welcome," said Josef. "I hope you will enjoy yourselves at the party," said Josef. "We will," said Luan. "Bye," said Lincoln and his 10 sisters.

As the coachmen climbed back into his carriage, Luna turned to her brother and sisters. "This is so cool, dudes!" she said. Not really, thought Lincoln. He didn't know how he was supposed to act with Her Imperial Majesty whatever-the-rest-of-her-name-was! His hands felt clammy.

"What do we do when we meet her? What do we say?" asked Lincoln. "We just watch what other people do and we copy them," said Lola. "Come on," said Lori.

Lincoln and his 10 sisters walked over to the sweeping stairway. They started up the steps, following the other party guests. The women all wore glittering jewels and gowns with giant hoopskirts. The men wore wigs with white curls flowing down over the collars of their long coats. All the clothes were made of silk and satin and velvet in rich collars and patterns.

"Oh, brother," said Lincoln. "What?" asked Lucy. "There's that kid who yelled at me," said Lincoln.

The small boy from the blue coach was standing at the top of the stairs. He wore a lilac-colored coat with gold braid. A tiny sword hung from his side.

"A sword?" said Lincoln. "That's ridiculous," said Lori. "He can't be more than four or five years old," said Lynn.

The boy turned and caught sight of Lincoln and his sisters. A big smile crossed his round face. He waved at them. "Awwww," said the sisters. "He is so cute," said Lola. "Not really," said Lincoln. A man grabbed the boy's hand and pulled him into the palace.

"And I thought I looked funny," said Lincoln. "Hey, you're not the only one who is funny," said Luan. "Oh, yeah right," said Lincoln. "How's my wig now?" asked Lincoln. Luan giggled. "It's crooked again," said Luan. "And your ears are poking out. Hold on," said Luan. Luan grabbed both sides of Lincoln's wig and gave it a good yank.

"Move along, children. You're holding up the line!" a woman behind them said.

Lincoln and his 10 sisters hurried up the stairs. At the top, Lincoln pulled their invitation out of his pocket again. He led his sisters into the palace and showed the invitation to a guard in a red uniform.

"Follow the line through the lantern room and into the Great Rosa Room," the guard said.

Lincoln saw a line of party guests walking slowly through a candlelit room. He and his 10 sisters quickly joined the line. The room was filled with sounds of whispering and the rustling of silk.

A young girl in a white dress with red roses was standing near Lincoln and his 10 sisters. When the line moved, Lincoln waited for the girl to go ahead.

The girl smiled. "I'm not in line," she said in a soft voice. "I'm waiting for my brother," she said. Lincoln nodded, and he and his sisters stepped forward. Lincoln craned his neck to get a better view of the Great Rosa Room. He couldn't see Her Imperial Majesty yet, but he could see part of the fancy room with its red velvet chairs and gold-trimmed, glossy white walls.

Another guest entered the Great Rosa Room, and Lincoln and his 10 sisters took a step closer to the door. Now Lincoln could see Her Imperial Majesty. She was a tall, plump woman dressed in a blue silk gown with ruffles. To Lincoln's surprise, the little kid with the sword was sitting on her lap! A long row of older children stood behind her.

Lincoln turned to his sisters. "Who do you think those kids are?" asked Lincoln. "They must be the princes and princesses of Her Imperial Majesty," said Lola. "Indeed, they are," said the girl who had spoken to Lincoln earlier. "The imperial children," she said. "Thanks," said Lana. "The imperial children look pretty unfriendly," Lisa whispered to Lola. The little boy with the sword was the only one smiling. "Well, it must be really hard to just stand there wearing stiff clothes and wigs while people are being received," Lola whispered back.

"Prepare yourselves, you are next," a servant at the door said to Lincoln and his 10 sisters. Oh, no! thought Lincoln. He'd been too busy looking at the imperial children to watch the guests in front of him. "What do we do when we meet Her Imperial Majesty?" he asked his sister frantically. "I don't know, I forgot to watch!" said Lynn.

Lynn turned to the girl in the white dress. "Um-excuse me, can you tell us what to do when we meet Her Imperial Majesty?" asked Lynn. The girl leaned close to Lynn and whispered, "Enter the room and announce your names. Then walk to the middle of the room. You and your sisters must curtsy; he must bow. Next go directly up to Her Imperial Majesty and do the same," she said. "Got it," said Lynn. "Oh, and remember-" the girl said to Lincoln, "do not rise from the second bow until Her Imperial Majesty tells you to. Do not even look up. Rise only when she says 'rise.' Then step backward out of the room." "Backward," said Lincoln. "Yes, you must never turn your back on Her Imperial Majesty," said the girl. "It would be considered very bad manners," she said. "Thanks!" said Lincoln. He was grateful to the girl for giving them such important information.

The servant at the door turned and nodded to Lincoln and his 10 sisters. The eleven of them stepped into the Great Rosa Room.

"Lori of Royal Woods," said Lori. "Leni of Royal Woods," said Leni. "Luna of Royal Woods," said Luna. "Luan of Royal Woods," said Luan. "Lynn of Royal Woods," said Lynn. "Lincoln of Royal Woods," said Lincoln. "Lucy of Royal Woods," said Lucy. "Lola of Royal Woods," said Lola. "Lana of Royal Woods," said Lana. "Lisa of Royal Woods," said Lisa. Lily didn't say anything but, she gave a cute smile.

Lincoln and his 10 sisters walked slowly to the center of the room; Her Imperial Majesty and the imperial children watched them closely. The little boy with the sword waved at them. The 10 sisters curtsied and Lincoln gave a low bow. Then Lincoln and his sisters walked closer to Her Imperial Majesty. She had a double chin, a high forehead, and lots of teeny blond curls. Lincoln smiled at her, but her pale face stayed very serious.

The 10 sisters curtsied again, and Lincoln gave the second bow. As he bowed, he remembered that it was bad manners to rise or look up before Her Imperial Majesty told him to. Lincoln stared at the shiny buckles on his shoes, waiting to hear Her Imperial Majesty say "rise."

Maybe I'm not bowing low enough, Lincoln thought. He bent over a few inches more. To his horror, the silver flute slipped out of his coat pocket! It clattered to the floor. As Lincoln grabbed it, his hat fell off. The imperial children snickered.

Clutching the flute, Lincoln reached for his hat with his other hand. But when he grabbed his hat, his wig fell off! Jack reached for his wig, but powder got in his nose, and he sneezed. As he sneezed, he slipped on the polished floor and fell to his knees. Gripping his wig, his hat, and his flute, Lincoln scrambled back up to his bowing position. But he still hadn't heard Her Imperial Majesty tell him to rise!

The imperial children laughed loudly. Lincoln even heard Her Imperial Majesty laughing! She probably can't speak because she's laughing so hard, thought Lincoln. He didn't know what to do. His face was burning hot. You've got to get out of here! he told himself.

Still bowing, Lincoln began backing up with little steps-until he bumped into a wall. As the imperial children howled with laughter, Lincoln turned his head and saw his 10 sisters peeking out from a doorway, giggling. He backed over to her.

Luna and Luan grabbed his coattails and pulled him out of the Great Rosa Room. "That's our Linky," laughed his sisters.

The imperial children clapped and cheered. Lincoln heard one of the girls say between gulps of laughter, "Who was that fool?" "That was Lincoln of Royal Woods!" answered the small boy in his high voice. And they all laughed loudly again.


	5. Chapter 4: Lincoln of Royal Woods!

Chapter 4: Lincoln of Royal Woods!

Lincoln's sisters were laughing so hard that they could barely stand up.

"What-what happened to all of you in there?" asked Lincoln. "After we curtsied, we left," said Lola. "When we looked back in the room, you were still bowing!" said Lori. "She didn't say 'rise'!" said Lincoln. "Yes, she did, dummy!" said Luan. "Well, I didn't hear her!" said Lincoln.

He turned away from his 10 sisters and started walking as fast as he could. He strode through one of the elegant room into another. He didn't know where he was. These rooms all look the same, he thought angrily, with stupid velvet furniture and stupid gold-trimmed walls.

"Lincoln, wait!" called his sisters. They hurried after him.

Lincoln kept walking, desperate to get far away from the scene of his disaster. Finally, he came to a door that led outside. He opened it and stepped out onto a long marble terrace overlooking the back of the palace. Bright silvery light from a full moon shone on a huge garden.

Lincoln stood in the chilly air, trying to calm down. He took a deep breath. He desperately wanted to run back to the tree house and go home.

"Lincoln!" said his sisters as they slipped out to join him. "I'm sorry I called you a dummy," said Luna. "Are you okay, dude?" asked Luna. "I didn't hear her say to rise," said Lincoln. "And the flute fell out of my coat and my hat came off . . . and my wig . . . and I sneezed and I slipped . . . . "Come on, let's leave," said Lincoln "We can go down these stairs," he said. "No, we can't leave now," said Lori. "We have a mission from Merlin," said Lynn. "Don't feel bad," said Lana. "Hardly anyone saw what you did," said Lucy. "Yeah, except Her Imperial Majesty and all those imperial kids," said Lincoln. "They all laughed at me," he said. "They weren't like being mean," said Leni. "You were funny," said Luan."Here give me your wig," said Luan.

Lincoln handed Luan his wig, and she put it back on his head and straightened it. "Your hat," said Luan. Lincoln gave her his hat, and she placed it over his wig. "Hide the flute," said Lucy.

Lincoln stuck the silver flute back into his pocket. "I don't know what we need this flute for," said Lincoln. "There's nothing dangerous here, I don't get this whole mission," said Lincoln. "We'll figure it out," said Lori. "Let's just go back in," said Lola.

The 10 sisters pulled Lincoln Lincoln back inside the palace.

"So, what do we do now?" asked Lincoln. "We should like find the party we were invited to," said Leni. "That must be what Merlin wanted us to do," said Lisa.

She pointed across the room. People were streaming through a set of doors into another room. Loud party noises came from inside: the chatter of guests, tinkling china, and harp and violin music. Lincoln pulled back. But his sisters took him by the arm.

"Don't worry, I'll bet there are hundreds of people in there," said Lori. "We'll get lost in the crowd," said Lana. "But what about all of those kids and Her Imperial Majesty?" asked Lincoln. "They don't care about us," said Lisa. "They have too many other guests to think about," said Lynn. "Come on," said Lori.

Lori leads her brother and her 9 sisters through the double doors into the party room. "Whoa," breathed Lincoln. He and his 10 sisters stopped and stared.

The party room was the size of a football field. Grand paintings covered the towering ceiling. Everything was trimmed in gold. The glossy white walls and tall mirrors reflected the glow of at least a thousand candles. Musicians played harps and violins while hundreds of guests stood around long dinner tables, chattering and laughing. Women fanned themselves, their diamonds and rubies flashing in the candlelight. The air smelled of perfume, powder, and roses.

"Okay, let's talk about our mission," said Lori. "We have to help a brilliant artist get on the right path to bring joy to the world," said Lisa. "Yeah, but first we have to find one . . . ," said Lucy. "Right, so let's look around," said Lynn.

Lincoln and his 10 sisters started drifting together through the huge room. Lincoln gazed at the grownups. Dressed in their finery, they all looked pretty much the same. What does a brilliant artist look like? Lincoln wondered.

"Lincoln of Royal Woods!" came a high little voice. Oh, no! thought Lincoln. He whirled around. The boy with the tiny sword was grinning up at him. "I have been looking all over for you!" he said. "Hi!" said Lola. "What's your name?" asked Lola. "Wolfie," said the boy. "That's a funny name," said Luan. "So is Lincoln of Royal Woods!" said Wolfie . His eyes shone as he looked up at Lincoln.

"Are you a clown?" asked Wolfie. Lincoln's sisters giggled. "Yeah, that's right, I'm a clown," said Lincoln.

"How old are you, Wolfie?" asked Lola, changing the subject. "Six!" the little boy said. "Six?" said Lincoln. This kid looked more like a four-year-old, he thought, five at the most.

"And I'm eleven," a girl said. It was the same girl who had helped them in line! "Cool, our brother here is eleven too," said Lori. "Yes, I am," said Lincoln.

"Hi!" said Lynn. "Hello, again," the girl said in a soft," lovely voice. "I am wolfie's sister," she said. Lincoln felt his face grow red. The girl must have seen him make a fool of himself. "My name is Nannerl," said the girl. "Nan-nerl?" said Lana, trying to pronounce her name. The girl smiled. "You can call me Nan if you like," she said. "Wolfie and I enjoyed your performance in the Great Rosa Room, Lincoln," said Nan. "You must be proud, Her Imperial Majesty does not laugh easily," said Nan.

Lincoln shrugged and scratched his wig. He wondered if the girl was joking. But she looked serious, so he decided not to tell her he hadn't meant to be funny.

"Do you call your mother 'Her Imperial Majesty'?" Lola asked Nan. Nana looked confused. "No," she said. "We call her Mama!" said Wolfie. "But you just said Her Imperial Majesty doesn't laugh much," said Luan. "Oh, Her Imperial Majesty is not our mother!" Nan said. "Our mother is back home in Salzburg, we are just visiting the palace," said Nan. "Then why was Wolfie sitting on Her Imperial Majesty's lap?" asked Lucy. "Because she likes me very much!" Wolfie piped up. Oh, brother, thought Lincoln.

"Wolfie, be modest," said Nan, shaking her head. "Actually, Wolfie jumped in her lap when we presented ourselves," said Nan. "I tried to grab him, but Her Imperial Majesty wanted him to stay with her," said Nan.

"My Papa taught me all the names of the imperial children before we came here: Leopold, Ferdinand, Maximilian, Joseph, Maria Antonia, Maria Elisabeth, Maria Christina, Maria Johanna, and Maria Anna.

"Hmm," said Lincoln. "Maria's a popular name around her," said Lincoln. Nan laughed. Lincoln liked making her laugh.

"Hey, look at me!" said Wolfie. He pulled off his wig. He pretended to sneeze and then fell to the floor. "I'm Jack the Clown!" he said. Suddenly, Lincoln's 10 sisters started laughing. "Ha-ha, very funny," said Lincoln, forcing a smile. He'd had just about enough of Wolfie.

"Nan, we have a question for you," said Lori. "Do you know if there are any brilliant artists here at the party?" asked Lori.

"I hadn't really been in Vienna long enough to meet many people," said Nan. "But Papa told me that artists do live-"

"Wait!" Wolfie broke in. He jumped to his feet. "I know someone here who is very brilliant," said Wolfie. "Who?" asked Lucy. "Me!" said Wolfie. And he bowed.

"Wolfie," said Nan," shaking her head. "Right," said Lincoln. He turned back to Nan. "where were you about to say?" asked Lincoln.

But Wolfie broke in again. "Nan and I are both brilliant!" he exclaimed in his high voice. "Our papa teaches us math, history, writing, reading, geography, music drawing, riding, fencing, and dancing," he said. Wolfie raised his arms over his head and did a little dance step. The sisters laughed again.

"Wolfie, stop!" said Nan. Yeah, cool it kid, thought Lincoln. "Do you want to go outside and play in the garden?" Wolfie asked Lincoln and his 10 sisters. "We can all dance," he said. "I don't think so, Wolfie, but thanks," said Lincoln. He turned back to Nan.

"So, what were you going to tell us about artists?" asked Lincoln. "Oh, yes," said Nan. "Papa told me that Her Imperial Majesty often invites artists to live in the palace and work here," she said. "Perfect!" said Lori. "Do you think any of them are here at the party now?" asked Lucy. "I don't know," said Nan. "The palace is very big," she said. "Papa told us that more than fifteen hundred people live here," she said. "Why are you looking for brilliant artists?" asked Nan. "Oh," said Leni, "we're on a mission to-" Lori interrupted her. ". . . to a party with brilliant artists," she finished. "That's our mission," she said.

Then she laughed because she knew she sounded stupid. Nan, laughed, too. "I see," said Nan. "All right then, at dinner, I will ask Papa where the artists stay," she said. "Thank you!" said Lincoln. Finally, he thought, they were starting their Merlin mission!


	6. Chapter 5: Bad Manners

Chapter 5: Bad Manners

A servant rang a bell. Other servants began carrying in large silver bowls, platters, and trays.

"It is time for dinner now," said Nan. "We must go, Wolfie," she said. "We have to find Papa," she said. She helped her little brother put on his wig.

"But I want to stay with Lincoln and his 10 sisters," whined Wolfie. "I want to play with them in the garden," he said.

"Not now," said Nan. She grabbed Wolfie's hand. "It was nice to talk to you," she said to Lincoln and his 10 sisters. "And I hope we can see you perform again someday, Lincoln," said Nan.

Lincoln forced a smile. "Uh . . . yeah, thanks," said Lincoln. "Hey, let us know what your dad-I mean, your papa-says about the brilliant artists living in the palace," said Lynn. "Maybe you can meet us later by those double doors?" said Luan. "Yes, after dinner, we will meet you," said Nan.

"And then we will play in the garden!" said Wolfie. "No, you and I will have other things to do, Wolfie, remember?" said Nan. "Come along now," she said as she pulled her little brother away. "But I want to play with Lincoln the Clown!" Wolfie wailed.

Lincoln and his sisters watched Wolfie and Nan disappear into the crowd.

"I am not a clown," said Lincoln darkly. "Don't worry about him, bro," said Luna. "He really admires you," said Lucy. "Lucky me," said Lincoln.

The bell sounded again. People started moving toward the dinner tables.

"Where should we like sit?" asked Leni. "Anywhere," said Lori. "As long as we're out of the way," said Lincoln. He still wanted to hide from the imperial children. "What about the table at the end of the room, near the door," said Lisa. "Sure," said Lori.

Lori led the way to the table at the far end of the room. "Let's grab seats while we can," Lori said to her brother and sisters.

As grown-ups hovered near the table talking and laughing, Lincoln and his 10 sisters sat down in eleven chairs. Steaming platters of food lined the middle of the table: beef stew, mashed potatoes, sausages, dumplings, cabbage, spiced apples, and gingerbread. Lincoln's mouth watered. He hadn't realized how hungry he was.

"Okay, here's our plan," he said to his 10 sisters. "We'll eat first, then Nan will tell us where all the artists live, and we'll get to work," said Lincoln.

"Excuse me, young man and young ladies," someone said in a snippy tone. Lincoln and his 10 sisters turned around their chairs. An elderly couple stood glaring at them. "The empress herself designed the seating plan," the man said. "And I can assure you these are not your seats," he said. "Furthermore," said the woman. "No one sits until Her Imperial Majesty is seated," she said.

Lincoln and his 10 sisters jumped from their chairs. "Oops!" said Luan. "Sorry!" said Lori. "Our mistake," said Lincoln. "Like excuse us," said Leni.

Lincoln and his sisters walked away from the table. "That was bad manners," said Lori to her brother and sisters. "Who, us or them?" said Lana. "Us," said Lori. "I wonder where our seats are," said Lola. "I have a feeling we're not a part of the empress's seating plan," said Lincoln. His face felt hot again. His wig itched like crazy.

Suddenly a hush fell over the room. The harp and violin music stopped. Everyone stopped talking. Her Imperial Majesty had entered through the main doors. The imperial children followed her. Her Majesty led them to the table in the middle of the room. Everyone else stood silently, waiting for the imperial family to sit down.

"We have to get out of here now," Lincoln whispered to his sisters. "Soon we'll be the only ones left standing," he whispered. "Like musical chairs," said Lana. "Right," said Lori. "Forget dinner, let's go look for where the artists are staying," said Lucy. "We can't wait for Nan to ask her dad," said Lola.

As all the guests sat down, Lincoln and his 10 sisters hurried toward the door.

"Lincoln the Clown!" came a high voice. Lincoln looked over his shoulder. Wolfie was waving from one of the tables. Lola waved back. "Don't wave, keep going," said Lincoln. He grabbed Lola's hand and pulled her out of the party room.

They hurried into yet another elegant room with red velvet furniture and gold-trimmed walls.

"Keep going," said Lincoln. He led the way into another fancy room.

"Lincoln and your sisters, wait!" came a cry. "I hear Wolfie!" said Luan. "Darn!" said Lincoln as he quickly closed the door behind them. "Keep moving!" he said. "We can't," said Lynn. "That's mean, we should wait for him," said Lola. "But he'll slow down our mission!" said Lori. "When are we going to get started?" asked Lana. "Like, calm down," said Leni. "We'll just tell him we can't hang out with him now because we have something important that we have to do," said Lisa. "Sigh," said Lucy. "Okay," said Lincoln.

"Lincoln and your sisters!" called Wolfie. Lincoln opened the door. Wolfie ran right into him. "There you are!" the little boy said, smiling. "I was looking for you!" he said. "No kidding," said Lincoln. "Yes!" said Wolfie. "Are you leaving?" asked Wolfie. "Not yet, we have to do something important," said Lori. "And you can't come with us," said Luan.

Wolfie's smile vanished. "Sorry," said Lincoln. "But I want you to come to the garden with me," said Wolfie. "Not now," said Lola. "Wolfie, listen to me carefully, I and my 10 sisters have to do something really, really, important and we have to do it all by ourselves," said Lincoln.

Wolfie's bottom lip started to quiver. Oh, no, thought Lincoln. He's going to cry. A tear ran down the little boy's cheek. "Aww, Wolfie, don't cry," said Lola.

"Wolfie, Wolfie!" someone called. Nan burst into the room. "Wolfie, what are you doing?" she asked. "Papa is very upset!" she said. "I want to play with Lincoln and his 10 sisters," said Wolfie. Another big tear ran down his cheek. "Please, Wolfie," Nan begged. "You know you have a big responsibility tonight," she said. "You have to-" "No!" wailed Wolfie, stamping his foot. "No, no, no, I never get to play," he said. "He kinda sounds like you two when you two are upset," Lincoln whispered to Lola and Lana. "Wolfie, stop!" said Nan. "Please do not be this way," she said. "Not now, of all times," said Nan. "You will kill Papa!" she said. "Wolfie, Wolfie!" came a deep voice. "He's in here, Papa!" Nan called. "Come Wolfie," she said as she took Wolfie's hand, but he pulled away from her. "No, I want to play!" shouted Wolfie. And he charged out of the room.

"Wolfie?" said a portly man in a wig bursting through another door. "Where is he, where is my son?" he asked. "Oh, Papa!" said Nan. "Wolfie ran away!" she said. "Ran away?" he said. The man threw his hands in the air. "We must find him!" he cried. "Papa, calm down!" said Nan. "We will fail utterly without him!" cried her papa. And he rushed out of the room. "Papa, Papa!" yelled Nan. And she hurried after her father.


	7. Chapter 6: Under the Moon

Chapter 6: Under the Moon

"Good grief," breathed Lincoln. "That family has problems," said Lori. "Maybe we should help them," said Lucy. "No, we can't," said Lincoln. "Right now we have our own problems," said Lisa. "We have to start working on our mission," said Lori. "Darn, I should have asked Nan's dad about the artists in the palace," said Lincoln. "I think he's too upset to think about that now," said Lynn. "You're right," said Lori. "So we need to find some friendly people who work here and ask them," said Lincoln. "Let's go look for help," said Lana.

As Lincoln and his 10 sisters started toward the door, Nan rushed into the room again. "Has Wolfie come back?" she asked frantically. "I'm afraid not," said Luna. "Oh, dear. Papa will die if Wolfie doesn't return soon!" said Nan, near tears. "Can you help me find him, please?" she asked. "Well, we'd really like to," said Lincoln. "But-" "Please!" said Nan. "Please!" she said again. Lucy sighed. "Okay," she said. "Sure," said Lincoln. "Thank you!" said Nan. "The palace is very large," she said. "I'll go this way, and you go that way," said Nan. "Surely one of us will find him!" she said as she hurried out of the room.

"I'll bet I know where Wolfie is," said Lola. "The garden, remember he kept talking about the garden?" said Lola. "Oh, yeah," said Luan. "I think the garden is below that terrace where I went after everyone laughed at me," said Lincoln. "Let's like go check," said Leni.

Lincoln led his 10 sisters back through one of the elegant palace rooms and into the party room. Everyone was still seated, eating dinner and talking loudly. No one noticed as Lincoln and his sisters hurried through the double doors and slipped into the room off the terrace. Lincoln opened the door, and he and his 10 sisters stepped outside. The air was chilly, but it felt good. Lincoln pulled off his hat and his wig. He gave his head a good scratch.

Lori looked down at the moonlit garden. "Do you think that's the garden Wolfie was talking about?" asked Lori. The silver light of the full moon shone on a large square with flower beds and fountains. Woods bordered the square. Crickets sounds filled the night. "Probably," said Lana.

"Wolfie!" said Lincoln and his 10 sisters. There was no answer. "Let's go down and look for him," said Lynn.

Leaving his wig and hat behind, Lincoln and his other 9 sisters followed Lynn down the stone stairway. As they started across the square, a strange sound came from the woods: AI-YEE!

"What was that, dudes?" asked Luna. Two creatures scampered out from the trees. "Ahh!" said Leni. "Don't worry," said Lana. "It's just a squirrel and a cat," said Lana. The squirrel dashed over the flower beds and disappeared. The cat ran after it.

"Yeah, but what was that noise from the woods?" asked Lincoln. "I've never heard a squirrel or a cat make a sound like that," said Lori.

Another sound came from behind the trees: WHOOP-WHOOP-WHOOP! "What was that?" asked Lola. "An owl maybe?" said Lana. "I've never heard an owl make a noise like that!" said Lynn. "Have you?" she asked. KER-LOO, KER-LOO! "Yikes, what was that?" asked Leni. "I don't know, those woods sound like a jungle," said Luan.

"Wolfie!" said Lincoln and his 10 sisters. There was no answer. Wind shook the treetops. The cricket chirps grew louder. "This place feels really weird," said Lucy. "Let's go back inside," said Lincoln. "I don't think Wolfie's out here," said Lori. "Wait a minute," said Lana. "I think I just heard him," she said.

Lincoln and his sisters listened. A faint little cry came from the woods: "Lincoln and your 10 sisters!" "Wolfie is out there!" said Lola. "Wolfie!" she cried as she hurried into the woods followed by her 9 other sisters. They hurried across the square and disappeared down a path that led into the woods. "My sisters, wait!" Lincoln called. He started after her, but then-

WHOOP-WHOOP-WHOOP! Lincoln froze. He was sure the whooping sound wasn't coming from an owl. EEE-EEE! Was that my sisters screaming? Lincoln wondered. "My sisters!" he yelled. He dashed across the moonlit garden and ran down the path to the woods. He stopped between the trees. "My sisters?" he called again.

EEE-EEE! Something leaped down from a tree branch and landed on the path. "Ahhh!" said Lincoln, jumping back. It looked like a baboon! EEE-EEE! The baboon bounded away!

KER-LOO, KER-LOO! Lincoln looked up. Overhead a huge crane glided through the air. KER-LOO, KER-LOO!

AI-YEE! A crowned peacock stood in the moonlight, fanning its green and gold tail feathers. What's going on? Lincoln thought. This is crazy! Lincoln thought. AI-YEE! the Peacock cried again.

Lincoln heard a rustling in the bushes. Something was moving through the woods, grunting, snorting, and growling. A huge bear lumbered onto the moonlit path! Standing on its hind legs, the bear looked about ten feet tall. It growled.

"Hi?" Lincoln croaked. It stepped toward Lincoln, raking the air with its huge claws. Lincoln began backing away. Then he turned and ran as fast as he could. As he wound his way between the trees, he could hear the bear crashing through the woods behind him.

WHOOP-WHOOP-WHOOP! A dog-like animal bounded across Lincoln's path. Lincoln recognized it. It was a laughing hyena-a creature he and his 10 sisters had seen on the plains of Africa! What's going on? Lincoln wondered again. Where are these animals coming from? he thought.

"Lincoln!" yelled his sisters. "Over here!" they said. They were hiding behind 9 trees. Lincoln ran over and crouched beside them He could hear the bear growling and thrashing through the brush.

"A huge bear's chasing me!" said Lincoln. "I know, he was chasing us, too!" said Lana. "I saw a baboon, a hyena, and a crane!" sputtered Lincoln. "What's happening?" he asked. "I don't know," whispered Lori. "Look, dudes!" said Luna.

From behind the trees, they watched an ostrich prance through the moonlight. Behind the ostrich, a gazelle stepped softly over the path in the woods, looking from side to side. Then the peacock strutted back into sight, fanning its luminous feathers.

"It's like a zoo in these woods," said Luan. "Oh, wow, that's it!" said Lola. The zoo, that's where they're from!" said Lana. "But zoos have cages!" said Lisa. "The animals don't just roam around free!" she said.

"Lincoln and your 10 sisters!" Wolfie's voice was close by. "That's Wolfie again!" said Lucy. "Oh, wow, I'll bet Wolfie like let the animals out of their cages," said Leni. "Help!" Wolfie called. "Oh, man, that kid's crazy," said Lincoln. "I know, but we have to help him!" said Lori.

Lincoln and his 10 sisters crept from their hiding place and walked cautiously down the path. "Lincoln and your sisters, help me!" cried Wolfie. Lincoln and his sisters kept going, stepping in and out of the shadowy moonlight.

Suddenly, Lola gasped and pointed. Wolfie was sitting in the crook of a tree up ahead. A large spotted animal was crouched below him. "A leopard!" whispered Lincoln. The Leopard looked up at Wolfie and growled.


	8. Chapter 7: Follow Me

Chapter 7: Follow Me

"Stand back!" Wolfie shouted at the leopard. "I have a sword and I'm not afraid to use it!" he shouted. "Oh, brother," whispered Lincoln. There was no way Wolfie's tiny sword could ward off the huge leopard. But if Lincoln and his 10 sisters rushed in to rescue Wolfie, the leopard might leap up and attack him.

Lola nudged Lincoln's arm. She pointed at the pocket of his coat. She held up her hands, pretending to play the flute. Lincoln had forgotten all about their magic flute! He remembered Teddy's words: Playing this flute will deliver you from danger. But what can the flute do? Lincoln wondered. How can it help us? he wondered. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the flute anyway.

"You play-just blow over the mouthpiece," whispered Lucy. "We'll make up a song," said Luna. "Remember, whatever we sing will come true," said Lori.

Lincoln nodded and held up the magic flute. It glistened in the light of the moon. Lincoln wasn't sure he was holding it right, but he hoped it wouldn't matter. He closed his eyes and blew gently across the mouthpiece.

Music streamed from the silver instrument! The pure sound wafted through the air like a feather in the wind. The melody was simple, yet beautiful. Lincoln's sisters started singing, making up a song:

Leopard, hey leopard,  
Listen to our sound.

The leopard turned its head and looked at Lincoln and his 10 sisters. It pricked up its spotted ears.

Follow us, follow us  
Follow us and the clown.

Clown? thought Lincoln. Is that me? he thought. He didn't love his sisters choice of words, but he didn't have time to worry about it. The leopard rose to its feet and began walking toward Lincoln and his 10 sisters.

Lincoln was so scared that he almost turned and ran away. But he didn't dare. He knew that as soon as he stopped playing the flute, the magic would end. Luan tugged on Lincoln's sleeve, and they started walking slowly down the path, back toward the palace. The leopard padded silently after them as Lincoln's sisters kept singing:

Wolfie, hey, Wolfie,  
Jump down, jump down . . .  
Follow us, follow us,  
Follow us and the clown.

Without a word, Wolfie bravely hopped down from the tree. He followed the leopard, Lincoln, and the 10 sisters. They all walked down the path between the trees. Lincoln had no idea where they were going. He only knew he should keep playing, his sisters should keep singing, and they should all keep moving.

Lincoln heard branches breaking. He heard grunting and snorting. The giant bear lumbered out from behind some trees. But Lincoln kept playing, and his sisters kept singing:

Bear, hey, bear,  
No need to frown.  
Follow us, follow us,  
Follow us and the clown.

The bear followed Lincoln, the 10 sisters, the leopard, and Wolfie down the path. The moonlight grew brighter and brighter. The magic music was making the night as bright as day!

Next, the hyena's laugh rippled through the air. WHOOP-WHOOP! The hyena slunk out from behind a tree trunk. Lincoln kept playing, and his sisters kept singing:

Hyena, hey, hyena,  
We're glad you've been found.  
Follow us, follow us,  
Follow us and the clown.

The hyena joined the parade. More creatures appeared: the gazelle and the ostrich and the peacock. The sisters sang to them as Lincoln played the magic flute:

Hey, gazelle! Hey, ostrich!  
Hey, the bird with a crown!  
Follow us, follow us,  
Follow us and the clown.

The animals all joined the parade. Lincoln heard Wolfie laughing with joy. He looked back and saw the little boy waving his arms as if he were conducting the magic music, a big grin on his face. Lincoln kept playing, and his sisters kept singing:

All creatures who fly,  
Fly after this tune.  
All creatures who walk,  
Walk under the moon.  
All creatures who crawl,  
Crawl over the ground.  
Follow us, follow us,  
Follow us and the clown.

Baboons and bunnies, snakes and squirrels, lizards and foxes-all the ordinary and extraordinary creatures in the woods followed Lincoln and his 10 sisters. On the other side of the wide square, candles twinkled in the rear windows of the palace. Lincoln wondered where he should lead all the wild creatures. Where was the zoo? he thought. How could he and his 10 sisters get the animals get the animals back into their cages? But his sisters had another idea, as she sang:

To your forests and plains,  
Where you're all free to roam,  
To your lands near and far,  
Go home now, go home . . .  
Go home now, go home . . .  
Go home now, go home . . .

As the 10 sisters sang the last words over and over, the creatures had begun to vanish into thin air. The leopard, bear, hyena, ostrich, gazelle, peacock, baboon, and crane all disappeared. Soon, the only animals left in the woods were the ones that belonged there.

The sisters stopped singing, Lincoln stopped playing, and Wolfie stopped waving his hands. The bright light faded to silver moonlight, and the cats, squirrels, and bunnies scampered off into the dark. The garden became quiet and peaceful again, except for the chirping of the crickets.

"Where did the wild animals go?" asked Wolfie. "Home," said Lana simply. Lincoln put the flute back in his pocket and Lucy heaved a sigh. "Good work," he said to his 10 sisters. "But did you have to keep calling me a clown?" he asked. His sisters giggled. "Sorry Linc, but 'clown' sounds good with so many other words," said Luan. "I'm glad they went home," said Wolfie. "I wanted them to be free," he said. "Listen, Wolfie," said Lincoln. "Don't ever, ever again try to free animals from a zoo," he said. "Someone could have gotten hurt!" he said to Wolfie. "I'm sorry," said Wolfie. "I promise I'll never do it again," said Wolfie. "I promise I'll never do it again. "But how did you make them follow you?" asked Wolfie.

"It wasn't us," said Lynn. "It was like our music," said Leni. "Was it magic?" asked Wolfie. "Yes, as a matter of fact, it was," said Lisa. "Music is magic," said Wolfie thoughtfully. "I love music," he said. "I love music too, dude," said Luna. "Cool," said Lincoln. "I really love it!" said Wolfie. "Uh . . . good," said Lucy. "I love it more than anything!" said Wolfie. He whirled around, clapping his hands and dancing for joy. What a weird kid, thought Lincoln.

As Wolfie twirled, the palace clock sounded: bong, bong, bong, bong, bong, bong, bong. "Seven," said Lori. "Seven o'clock," she said. Wolfie stopped twirling and stumbled dizzily.

"Oh, no, I must go!" he cried. "I will be late!" he said. Wolfie grabbed Lincoln and his 10 sisters. "Come with me!" said Wolfie. "You have to come with me!" he said. "Uh, okay," said Lola. Why is Wolfie so frantic? Lincoln wondered. Wolfie pulled Lincoln and his 10 sisters toward the palace. "Hurry, I cannot be late!" he cried. "Late for what?" asked Lincoln.

Before Wolfie could answer, someone called his name. "Wolfie, where are you?" It was Nan. She was standing on the back terrace of the palace. "Wolfie!" she called again. "Coming!" shouted Wolfie. "Poor Nan, she is waiting for me!" he said. "Papa is waiting for me!" he said. "The whole world is waiting for me!" he said.


	9. Chapter 8: The Hall of Mirrors

Chapter 8: The Hall of Mirrors

Wolfie took off running toward the palace. "The whole world, I don't think so," said Lincoln to his 10 sisters. His sisters smiled. "Come on, let's go back inside," said Lynn.

Lincoln and his 10 sisters hurried through the moonlit garden back to the summer palace. They followed Wolfie up the stairway that led to the terrace.

"I'm here, Nan!" Wolfie called. Nan ran across the terrace and grabbed him. "Oh, Wolfie, where were you?" asked Nan. "I was in the garden!" said Wolfie. "Oh, Nan, the most amazing thing-" he said. "Not now, Wolfie, we don't have time," said Nan. She brushed off his jacket and straightened his wig.

"I love music, Nan!" said Wolfie. Lincoln and his sisters made me love music again!" he said, pointing at Lincoln and his 10 sisters. "I'm glad, good, come now," said Nan. "We have to hurry to the Hall of Mirrors!" she said. "Papa's there waiting for us!" said Nan. Nan pulled Wolfie toward the door. "Lincoln and your 10 sisters, come with us!" Wolfie yelled over his shoulder. "In a minute, we'll be right there!" said Lori.

As Wolfie and Nan went inside, Lincoln's sisters tried to smooth their clothes. The laces on their dresses ripped. The bottoms of their dresses were dirty. Their bows had become untied. The hoops of their dresses were bent. "We're a mess," they said to Lincoln. "Me too," he said. His jacket was dirty and his pants were torn. He found his wig and hat where he'd left them and scrunched them back onto his head.

"But we have to look for the artists now," said Lincoln. "What about Wolfie?" asked Lola. "Forget it, we don't have time to hang out with Wolfie," said Lincoln. "But we told him we'd come," said Luan. "We can't spend our whole lives chasing after Wolfie!" said Lincoln. "Because of him, we've already used up our only chance to make magic and we haven't even started on our mission yet!" he said. "Okay, okay," said his sisters. "But we should least say like goodbye to him and Nan," said Leni. Lucy sighed. "Okay, a quick good-bye," he said.

Lincoln and his 10 sisters walked across the terrace and stepped into the palace. "Excuse me," Lori said to a servant. "Where is the Hall of Mirrors?" she asked. The servant frowned at their appearance. But he pointed to a door on the right. "Pass through the next three rooms, then through the Great Rosa Room, into the Hall of Mirrors," said the servant. "Thanks," said Lincoln and his 10 sisters.

Lincoln and his sisters hurried through the four rooms until they came to a large door. They opened it and peeked into the Hall of Mirrors. Mirrors hung on the walls. The room was filled with party guests sitting in rows of chairs. Her Imperial Majesty and the imperial children sat in the front row. Wolfie was standing near the front of the room with Nan and their father.

Lincoln wanted to leave as quickly as possible. But Wolfie saw them and called out, "Lincoln and your 10 sisters, come in!" Lincoln started to slip away. But his sisters pushed the door open and stepped inside. Oh, brother, thought Lincoln, following her.

"Watch me!" cried Wolfie. Then Wolfie shot away from his family and hopped in front of the crowd. Oh, no! thought Lincoln. What's he doing? he thought. Why doesn't someone grab him? thought Lincoln.

Wolfie faced the audience. He placed his hand over his heart and bowed. Then he swept back his coattails and climbed up on a bench in front of an odd-looking piano. His short legs didn't even reach the floor.

Wolfie closed his eyes and bowed his head close to the keyboard. With just one finger he began tapping out some musical notes.

Why's everyone watching this little kid pretending to play the piano? Lincoln wondered. Then he realized something amazing: the simple tune Wolfie was picking out on the keyboard was the same tune the magic flute had played in the garden.

Everyone in the room seemed to hold their breath as Wolfie played. He went from tapping with one finger to tapping with two fingers and then three. As Wolfie kept tapping out notes, he didn't look like a silly six-year-old anymore. The expression on his face was thoughtful and dreamy. Suddenly Wolfie was playing with all his fingers. His small hands flew over the black and white keys as he added to the tune of the magic flute.

Lincoln was stunned. He couldn't believe a little kid could make such beautiful music. "Like, this music is beautiful," whispered Leni. "It totally is great," whispered Lori. "It's totally rocking," whispered Luna. "It makes me want to have a tea party," whispered Lola. The sounds from the piano were sometimes light and playful, and at other times heavy and forceful. The slow parts of Wolfie's music made Lily want to close her eyes. The lively parts made her want to bounce up and down.

Wolfie ended his concert with a great flourish. Then he stood up and bowed. The guests jumped to their feet, smiling and laughing, clapping and yelling, "Bravo, bravo!" Wolfie kept bowing. The clapping and cheering would die down, but then it would start up again. As long as people clapped, Wolfie bowed. Finally, Wolfie's father stepped up to the piano. Then Wolfie seemed to turn into a little kid again.

"Papa!" he said as he grabbed his father and buried his face in his father's coat. Wolfie's dad had tears on his cheeks as he hugged his son.

All the guests talked excitedly about the performance they'd just seen: "I couldn't believe my ears!" they said. "I couldn't believe my eyes!" they said. "How did he do it?" they said. "He is so young and small!" they said.

As the party guests kept praising Wolfie, Nan walked over to Lincoln and his 10 sisters. "Thank you for bringing Wolfie back for his concert," she said. "Has he been playing a long time?" asked Lisa. "Papa has been teaching him since he was three," said Nan. "And now Wolfie is even starting to write his own music," she said. "He tells Papa he hears tunes in his head-like the tune he played tonight," said Nan. "I have never heard that one before," said Nan.

Lincoln's sisters smiled at Lincoln, and he smiled back at them. "Cool," said Lucy.

A hush fell over the crowd. Her Imperial Majesty had stepped forward. She took Wolfie's hands in hers. "Thank you for your brilliant performance, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart," she said.

As the crowd clapped wildly again, Lisa looked at her brother and her sisters. "Mozart!" she said.

Lincoln and his sisters were confused. Mozart? They knew the name, Mozart. Their sister, Lisa loved the music of Mozart. Their parents loved it, too. In fact, their parents had taken Lisa to hear a concert of Mozart's music. Lisa couldn't believe that this strange little kid was the world-famous Mozart.

The applause stopped as Her Imperial Majesty spoke to the crowd. "We have witnessed a great event here tonight," she said. "I know we will all remember it in the years to come when our young Wolfgang Mozart brings joy to all the world with his music," said Her Imperial Majesty.

"Oh, man," whispered Lincoln. He looked at his sisters. "Did you hear that?" he asked. His sisters smiled at him and nodded.

"Thank you again for your help," Nan said to them. She started to leave, then turned back. "Oh, I asked Papa your question about the artists living here," she said. "He said he was talking about another palace in Vienna, I'm sorry," said Nan. "That's ok," said Lynn. "No problem," said Nan.

As Nan headed for Wolfie and her father, Lincoln's sisters looked at Lincoln. "We found our great artist," said Lola. "He was with us all along," said Lana.


	10. Chapter 9: Us and the Clown

Chapter 9: Us and the Clown

"Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart," said Luna. "Yeah," Lucy sighed. "And right now he's just a little kid," said Luan. "So I guess we did our mission," said Lincoln. "Remember what Wolfie said to Nan?" said Lori. "He said we made him love music again," she said. "So I guess we put him back on the path to giving his gifts to the world," said Lincoln. "Yep, and now we can leave," said Lana. "Whew," they said. Lincoln was ready to get out of his fancy clothes and wig and go home and have a good dinner. "Let's go say goodbye to Wolfie," said Lola.

As Lincoln and his 10 sisters started toward Wolfie, Her Imperial Majesty was laughing something he had said. "You are truly a magician, my little Wolfgang Mozart!" she said. "No, not me," said Wolfie. "Lincoln and his 10 sisters are the true magicians," he said. "Who?" said Her Imperial Majesty. "Over there," said Wolfie, pointing across the room. "Lincoln and your 10 sisters!" he called. All eyes turned to Lincoln and his 10 sisters.

"Look, it's Lincoln of Royal Woods!" said one of the imperial children. Lincoln froze, horrified. "Lincoln is a clown," said Wolfie. "And he plays magic music on his flute and his sisters sing beautiful magic songs," he said. "I just heard them," said Wolfie. "Really?" said Her Imperial Majesty. She raised her eyebrows.

"Well, Lincoln and your 10 sisters," said Her Imperial Majesty. "Perhaps you will perform for all of us here as well," she said. Everyone was silent, waiting for an answer from Lincoln and his sisters.

"Um, well, you see . . . ," Lincoln began. "Sure," said his sisters with big smiles. "We'd love to perform for you," said Lori. Oh, no! thought Lincoln. "Yes, sing for us!" said Wolfie. "Play for us!" he said, clapping his hands. He ran to Lincoln and his 10 sisters and pulled them toward the front of the room.

Lori leaned close to Lincoln. "You play; We'll sing," she whispered. "But the flute won't make magic anymore," Lincoln said out of the corner of his mouth. "Do the best you can," whispered Lucy. The sisters smiled at the crowd. Lincoln could hardly breathe. This is worse than facing the leopard and bear! he thought. "Us, then you," Lola said to Lincoln.

Lincoln reached into his pocket and pulled out the silver flute. His sisters started singing:

We came in a coach,  
In a wig and a gown.  
We came to Vienna,  
Us and the clown.

The sisters turned to Lincoln. As everyone watched him, he held the instrument in a playing position. He desperately hoped a little magic still lingered in the flute. He blew air over the mouthpiece. No sound came out. All anyone could hear was Lincoln's huffing and puffing. Wolfie giggled.

"See, Lincoln's a clown!" he said. Everyone laughed. Okay, thought Lincoln, if they want a clown, I'll be a clown. Lincoln put on a goofy face. He looked into the end of the flute as if searching for its missing sound. He jerked back his head as if something had shot out of the flute and hit him in the eye.

Everyone laughed harder. Lincoln liked hearing their laughter this time. He made a big show of wiping his eye. Then he gave his sisters a silly grin.

The sisters shook their heads and sang:

Our brother's a fool,  
He's always around.  
Why is it always  
Us and the clown?

Lincoln pretended to bonk their own heads with his flute. He tried playing again, but again no sound came out. He turned the flute upside down and shook it as if he were trying to shake out some music.

Lincoln's sisters rolled their eyes, to show they thought Lincoln was hopeless. Then they nodded at him, motioning for him to walk with them. As they moved away from the front of the room, the sisters sang the last verse of their song:

It's time to go,  
It's time to leave town.  
Good-bye from us, and  
Good-bye from the clown.

Crossing the room, Lincoln put the flute to his lips again. As he followed his sisters to the door, he looked at the crowd and winked. Then he started to make up his own flute sounds. "Tweetle-tweetle-tweetle!" he sang. "Toot-toot-ah-roo!" he sang.

The audience laughed. When Lincoln saw Nan laughing hard, it spurred him on, and he did a little dance step. "Peep-peep-peep-ah-lee!" he sang, pretending to play the flute. "Peek-peek-a-boo!" he sang.

At the door, Lincoln and his 10 sisters stopped. Lincoln held the flute to his side and bowed. His 10 sisters curtsied at the same time. The audience laughed and clapped. Together Lincoln and his sisters waved at the crowd.

"Bye, Wolfie!" shouted Luan. The sisters blew kisses to him. "Keep making music!" shouted Luna. "Have a great life, Wolfie!" shouted Lincoln. "Bye Lincoln and your 10 sisters!" yelled Wolfie. "I promise I will never forget you!" he said.

Lincoln bowed very low, and his sisters curtsied again. "Rise," said Her Imperial Majesty, laughing. Lincoln and his 10 sisters straightened up, waved one last time, and slipped out the door.


	11. Chapter 10: Joy

Chapter 10: Joy

"Go, go!" said Lincoln. Lincoln and his 10 sisters ran through the Great Rosa Room, through the next three rooms, and into the room off the back terrace. Then they turned and hurried to the huge party room, where a thousand candles had nearly burned out. They ran to the door that led out to the front entrance.

"We have to leave," said Lori. "Good night!" Luan said to the guard. "Like thanks for everything!" said Leni. The guard opened the door, and they ran outside. "Keep going!" said Lincoln.

They hurried down the sweeping, curved stairway that led to the giant square. A line of coaches was parked below, waiting to pick up guests. Lincoln and his sisters saw Josef standing by his coach. The moonlight shone on his two milk-white horses.

"Josef!" shouted Lori. Lincoln and his 10 sisters ran over to the coachman. "Ah, my young friends!" he said. "How was your evening?" he asked. "Great," said Luan. "But we have to go home now," said Lynn. "Do you have time to take us back to the gate?" asked Lori. "Indeed, it is early," said Josef. "I can take you now and then return for my employer and his family," he said.

One by one, Josef gave Lincoln's 10 sisters his hand to help them into the coach. Then he helped Lincoln. Josef climbed up onto his bench and snapped the reins, and the two horses clomped over the cobblestones.

"So tell me now, young ladies," said Josef. "Did you have a good time at the party?" he asked. "What did you see and what did you do?" asked Josef.

"We had a great time!" said Lori. "I was like received by Her Imperial Majesty," said Leni. "I saw a room lit with a thousand candles," said Lola. "I made good friends, met some zoo animals, heard a great concert, and saw a silly clown," said Lana.

"Excellent," said Josef. "And you, young man?" he asked. "I did all those things, too," said Lincoln. "But the clown was the best part," he said. He knew how to make great use of his wits and his talents.

The sisters laughed. Josef drove the coach through the palace gate and stopped on the cobblestone street.

"Where do you need to go?" asked Josef. "Oh, this is perfect," said Lori. "We can get out right here," said Lynn. Lincoln and his 10 sisters climbed out of the coach and looked up at Josef. "Thank you, Josef," said the sisters. "Yeah, thanks a lot for the ride," said Lincoln.

"You two are very mysterious," said Josef. "You appeared out of the twilight and now you disappear into the moonlight," he said. "We're magicians," said Lola. "It would seem so," said Josef, smiling. He tipped his hat. "Well, I had better return now," said Josef. "Good night, my young friends," he said. "Good night, Josef," said Lincoln and his 10 sisters. Josef flicked the reins, and the milk-white horses clomped back toward the palace gates. "Nice guy," said Luna. "Let's go," said Lincoln.

Lincoln and his 10 sisters ran to the trees that lined the cobblestone street. "There!" said Lana. She grabbed the rope ladder. One by one, Lincoln and his 10 sisters climbed the rope ladder and started up to the tree house. When they got inside, they looked out the window at the full moon shining over Vienna, Austria.

"Good-bye, Wolfie," said the sisters. "Good luck, kid," said Lincoln. Then Lincoln picked up the envelope from their invitation. He pointed to the words, Royal Woods. "I wish we could go there!" he said.

The tree house started to spin. It spun faster and faster. Then everything was still. Absolutely still.

Lincoln and his sisters opened their eyes. Lucy sighed with relief. They were back in the Royal Woods woods. They were wearing their own clothes again. Lincoln was holding the magic flute.

"Ready?" asked Lynn. "Totally," said Lincoln. Lincoln carefully laid the flute in a corner of the tree house. Then he and his 10 sisters climbed down the rope ladder one by one started for home.

Lincoln was such in a good mood, he nearly bounced through the woods. The sun was going down, dappling the ground with lovely light. The air was soft and smelled like new leaves. Lincoln knew a good dinner was waiting for them at home.

When Lincoln and his 10 sisters came out of the woods, they took off running down the street. They crossed their yard, scrambled onto the porch, and banged through the front door.

"We're back!" called Lori. "Just in time," their dad said from the kitchen. "Dinner's in a few minutes," their dad said. "Quick, before we eat . . . ," Lincoln said to his 10 sisters. He led them over to the computer. He sat down and typed in one word: Mozart. There were 48,400,207 entries.

"Whoa!" said Lincoln. He clicked the first one. He read aloud:

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was the most famous child musician in history. He performed all over Europe for many years. As Mozart grew up, he composed more than six hundred pieces of music. For over two hundred years, his music has brought joy to the world.

"Yes!" said Lisa.

As Lincoln scrolled down, three words leaped out at him. He gasped. "Listen to this!" he said. And then he read to his sisters:

Mozart's last great opera was called The Magic Flute.

The sisters smiled at Lincoln. "Wolfie kept his promise," said Lynn. "He never forgot us," said Lola. "Alright then," said Lincoln. "Let's eat dinner now," he said. So he and his 10 sisters went to eat dinner with their mom and dad.


End file.
